by chriscarter » Sat Sep 10, 2011 7:30 am
Short answer.....NO it is not difficult.
However, a number of aftermarket header mfrs also supply a converter "test pipe" which actually is intended to eliminate the converter. DO NOT eliminate the converter! Buy headers that make use of either the factory bolt-in converter or an exact-fit replacement. If you do away with the converter, both O2 sensors won't function properly, which means your ECU will not function properly, which means your car will not drive properly, which means your car may not pass any state-required emissions testing. Today's catalytic converters flow WAY better than the early ones that were forced on cars in the 1970s. They are an integral part of the EFI and all subsytems of the injection and ignition are designed to function with a converter exhaust system. Unless you plan on taking your Solara off-road and entering it in the next Baja 1000, don't bypass or eliminate any emissions or injection components.